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Knitting in the Nordic Tradition
"Clear illustrations of techniques and stitches as well as wonderful photographs of actual Nordic knitters make this book a welcome addition to any serious knitter's library. There is plenty of information about wool — the best fiber for knitting — from sheep to finished product. It even has instructions for washing a finished Nordic sweater." — Life Community Church
Richly illustrated with photos, charts, and drawings, this guide to Scandinavian knitting features patterns for a wealth of handmade treasures. More than 100 graphed patterns in the authentic Nordic tradition include children's and adults' sweaters, jackets, caps, mittens, stockings, and shawls. Simple in cut and striking in decoration, the patterns are based on practical and aesthetic values.
After a brief look at the historical development of wool into yarn, the Introduction provides tips on using the right tools, following patterns, incorporating designs, and making edgings and decorative borders. Above all, this book offers suggestions for adapting classic patterns to suit individual needs and to express personal tastes. In addition to scores of helpful diagrams, the chatty and informative text is complemented with many photos of finished projects as well as historical images depicting people dressed in these beautiful sweaters, hats, and other forms of wearable art.
Richly illustrated with photos, charts, and drawings, this guide to Scandinavian knitting features patterns for a wealth of handmade treasures. More than 100 graphed patterns in the authentic Nordic tradition include children's and adults' sweaters, jackets, caps, mittens, stockings, and shawls. Simple in cut and striking in decoration, the patterns are based on practical and aesthetic values.
After a brief look at the historical development of wool into yarn, the Introduction provides tips on using the right tools, following patterns, incorporating designs, and making edgings and decorative borders. Above all, this book offers suggestions for adapting classic patterns to suit individual needs and to express personal tastes. In addition to scores of helpful diagrams, the chatty and informative text is complemented with many photos of finished projects as well as historical images depicting people dressed in these beautiful sweaters, hats, and other forms of wearable art.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 19, 2014
Thank you, Dover Publications, for the free copy in exchange for an honest review! I haven't picked up such a classic knitting book in quite some time. You've reminded me how much I miss it.
The best phrase I ever came across in a knitting book is, predictably, from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Without Tears, and it sums up exactly what I love about knitting, and knitters: "Now comes what I perhaps inflatedly call my philosophy of knitting. Like many philosophies, it is hard to express in a few words. Its main tenets are enjoyment and satisfaction, accompanied by thrift, inventiveness, an appearance of industry, and above all resourcefulness." I am a bit of a collector of old knitting books, and I love the old-fashioned kind the best: the sort with black and white photos of colourwork, hand-drawn diagrams that have been written out with one hand while the other still clutches the needles, the sort that assumes a little bit of knowledge and a lot of inventiveness. I learned to knit partly from my mum and grandma, partly from the immeasurable genius of Montse Stanley (who is Stanley Montse, Goodreads?? for shame), and partly from my own trial and error (I was convinced my mum had taught me how to work an ssk, for example - until I then had to teach her a few years later, and neither of us could remember where I had actually picked it up). Knitting for me is very much bound up with that enjoyment and resourcefulness that comes with independence of learning, backed up with centuries of other women (and men) having independently learned the same things themselves. My philosophy (and EZ's philosophy) for knitting has informed how I live the rest of my life, and it holds a very special place for me.
That's why I love books like this, and I love this book in particular. Originally published in Danish in 1984, it takes the standard format of spinning tips > technique dictionary > sweater recipe > patterns > aftercare, it's liberal in its use of photographs and clear hand-drawn schematics, it's clearly been written by a person who knows very much what they're on about and has imbued the whole book with the mist interesting historical details they can lay their hands on. My favourite part is the picture on p28 captioned "The earliest depiction of knitting is seen on an altar piece dated 1390, from Buxtehude, near Hamburg" - how about that to make you feel part of a tradition! And of course the whole book is peppered with history, from notes on natural yarn colours, sailors' sweaters and how colourwork is good for making clothing wind/waterproof (physics! if you don't think knitting takes a whole lot of engineering, you really aren't paying enough attention), to pictures of knitwear in the wild, being worn by everyone from children to polar explorers and the Danish royal family (adorably resplendent in their matching Christmas jumpers, pictured in 1952).
And of course it is all presented with that no-nonsense attitude that permeates the best kind of knitting book. You want a cardigan instead of a pullover? It's easier and faster to knit in a circle, so do that, and then chop it up down the front. Here's how to sew it up afterwards and stop it from fraying, the rest is up to you. Want to put in a pocket? Go ahead - here's the principle of how, and who are we to tell you where to put it? It's only knitting, we're not going to patronise you by showing you how to join the dots when you're perfectly capable yourself. They're quite right, of course - it doesn't take a genius to work out a lot of the finer points. All it takes is a bit of faith in your own abilities as a knitter, and the knowledge that millions of knitters have worked it out before you. It's like that strange way that crossword clues suddenly become easier to solve when someone says "Aha! I know the answer!" I love how good knitting books - and this one in particular - don't hold your hand so much as give you the confidence that there is a way to solve your problems, and it really is as easy as you think it is. "Once you have become familiar with the principle of the Aunt Anna blouse, you will be able to knit blouses to fit all sizes, simply by making a few changes."
What sets Knitting in the Nordic Tradition apart is, fairly obviously, the Nordic tradition part. There is a focus on colourwork, with a little garter stitch and lace, and not a single cable to be found. The colourwork is predominantly stranded, and very much of a type - I particularly like the dancing granny motif and the explanation of fitting shaping into vertical stripes. There are lots of peeries which make me think I should go on another mitten-making binge. But best of all is the steady stream of folk art, design, architecture, and just day-to-day life that gives such a distinctive style of clothing its context in history, geography, and sociology - how what looks like decoration turns out also to have such a functional basis, or doesn't, and why. I love it. I love it so much. We stand on the shoulders of giants, we yarncrafters. Giants in really good hats.
I'm aware that I've now been knitting for two thirds of my lifetime (which is not something I can say about many things, at the grand old age of twenty-four) and I rarely use patterns any more, so recipes like this fit with how my knitter's brain works. There's something very liberating about that, and I think part of it comes from screwing up an awful lot of times and getting very comfortable with ripping things back and going around again, and part of it comes from books like this giving me the confidence that going from first principles isn't going to lead me far astray. For old hands, this is going to be a comforting, colourful and interesting book. For newer knitters, it'll likewise be colourful and interesting, but equally - you're going to see how easy it is to take the skills you have, and use them to their best and widest advantage! Even if those skills are still just cast on, knit stitch, purl stitch, knit a square, cast off. I am so excited for you! Don't be intimidated, you are part of a grand tradition of looking at other people's work and then making it up as you go along.
The best phrase I ever came across in a knitting book is, predictably, from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Without Tears, and it sums up exactly what I love about knitting, and knitters: "Now comes what I perhaps inflatedly call my philosophy of knitting. Like many philosophies, it is hard to express in a few words. Its main tenets are enjoyment and satisfaction, accompanied by thrift, inventiveness, an appearance of industry, and above all resourcefulness." I am a bit of a collector of old knitting books, and I love the old-fashioned kind the best: the sort with black and white photos of colourwork, hand-drawn diagrams that have been written out with one hand while the other still clutches the needles, the sort that assumes a little bit of knowledge and a lot of inventiveness. I learned to knit partly from my mum and grandma, partly from the immeasurable genius of Montse Stanley (who is Stanley Montse, Goodreads?? for shame), and partly from my own trial and error (I was convinced my mum had taught me how to work an ssk, for example - until I then had to teach her a few years later, and neither of us could remember where I had actually picked it up). Knitting for me is very much bound up with that enjoyment and resourcefulness that comes with independence of learning, backed up with centuries of other women (and men) having independently learned the same things themselves. My philosophy (and EZ's philosophy) for knitting has informed how I live the rest of my life, and it holds a very special place for me.
That's why I love books like this, and I love this book in particular. Originally published in Danish in 1984, it takes the standard format of spinning tips > technique dictionary > sweater recipe > patterns > aftercare, it's liberal in its use of photographs and clear hand-drawn schematics, it's clearly been written by a person who knows very much what they're on about and has imbued the whole book with the mist interesting historical details they can lay their hands on. My favourite part is the picture on p28 captioned "The earliest depiction of knitting is seen on an altar piece dated 1390, from Buxtehude, near Hamburg" - how about that to make you feel part of a tradition! And of course the whole book is peppered with history, from notes on natural yarn colours, sailors' sweaters and how colourwork is good for making clothing wind/waterproof (physics! if you don't think knitting takes a whole lot of engineering, you really aren't paying enough attention), to pictures of knitwear in the wild, being worn by everyone from children to polar explorers and the Danish royal family (adorably resplendent in their matching Christmas jumpers, pictured in 1952).
And of course it is all presented with that no-nonsense attitude that permeates the best kind of knitting book. You want a cardigan instead of a pullover? It's easier and faster to knit in a circle, so do that, and then chop it up down the front. Here's how to sew it up afterwards and stop it from fraying, the rest is up to you. Want to put in a pocket? Go ahead - here's the principle of how, and who are we to tell you where to put it? It's only knitting, we're not going to patronise you by showing you how to join the dots when you're perfectly capable yourself. They're quite right, of course - it doesn't take a genius to work out a lot of the finer points. All it takes is a bit of faith in your own abilities as a knitter, and the knowledge that millions of knitters have worked it out before you. It's like that strange way that crossword clues suddenly become easier to solve when someone says "Aha! I know the answer!" I love how good knitting books - and this one in particular - don't hold your hand so much as give you the confidence that there is a way to solve your problems, and it really is as easy as you think it is. "Once you have become familiar with the principle of the Aunt Anna blouse, you will be able to knit blouses to fit all sizes, simply by making a few changes."
What sets Knitting in the Nordic Tradition apart is, fairly obviously, the Nordic tradition part. There is a focus on colourwork, with a little garter stitch and lace, and not a single cable to be found. The colourwork is predominantly stranded, and very much of a type - I particularly like the dancing granny motif and the explanation of fitting shaping into vertical stripes. There are lots of peeries which make me think I should go on another mitten-making binge. But best of all is the steady stream of folk art, design, architecture, and just day-to-day life that gives such a distinctive style of clothing its context in history, geography, and sociology - how what looks like decoration turns out also to have such a functional basis, or doesn't, and why. I love it. I love it so much. We stand on the shoulders of giants, we yarncrafters. Giants in really good hats.
I'm aware that I've now been knitting for two thirds of my lifetime (which is not something I can say about many things, at the grand old age of twenty-four) and I rarely use patterns any more, so recipes like this fit with how my knitter's brain works. There's something very liberating about that, and I think part of it comes from screwing up an awful lot of times and getting very comfortable with ripping things back and going around again, and part of it comes from books like this giving me the confidence that going from first principles isn't going to lead me far astray. For old hands, this is going to be a comforting, colourful and interesting book. For newer knitters, it'll likewise be colourful and interesting, but equally - you're going to see how easy it is to take the skills you have, and use them to their best and widest advantage! Even if those skills are still just cast on, knit stitch, purl stitch, knit a square, cast off. I am so excited for you! Don't be intimidated, you are part of a grand tradition of looking at other people's work and then making it up as you go along.
August 29, 2009
I am grateful that this book was translated in to English - it has some wonderful introductory chapters and text on historical Nordic woolgathering, shepherding, carding/spinning, and knitting that were so interesting. I particularly enjoyed the historical photographs accompanying the text. While the book was published 25 years ago, the designs are truly timeless, and evoke the rich tradition of the Nordic countries. The book is almost entirely black and white (only two page color spread in the middle) so color palettes for the knits are mentioned in brief, but not displayed. There are generous charts in the book showing the designs of some historical patterns and covers the gamut with nearly all wearable knitting patterns, everything from head to toe!
June 25, 2020
Definitely for the serious and experienced knitter. I found this book rather weighty and difficult to follow.
August 6, 2014
Thanks to Dover Publications and Netgalley for letting me review this book! I actually love the book and can certainly see times when I would love to include some of the excellent designs in my knitting, but there again I like creating my own versions of patterns.... There are some great designs and ideas in this book for the more competent knitter to adopt, adapt and use creatively though the fact that this is a reprint of a book that was published many years ago means that many of the images and some of the terms used seem very dated (the book was originally written and published in Denmark back in 1981). It doesn't contain actual patterns for garments but does contain over a hundred charts to show how different traditional designs may be created. In the introduction it gives information about different wools before going on to give lots of details about different techniques that may be used. This is not a book for novice knitters but one to inspire more competent ones to be creative applying the techniques and designs in ways of their own choosing. It ends with guidance on how to wash and care for woollen garments - and some beautiful colour photographs of knitwear.
A great book for competent, creative knitters who want to experiment further with Nordic designs for whom this would warrant at least 4 stars, but for those less confident this guidance is probably not enough to enable them to use it effectively - they would probably rate it 3 stars overall.
A great book for competent, creative knitters who want to experiment further with Nordic designs for whom this would warrant at least 4 stars, but for those less confident this guidance is probably not enough to enable them to use it effectively - they would probably rate it 3 stars overall.
August 2, 2014
No wonder this is so old fashioned: The first edition was written about thirty years ago.
Thank you, NetGalley and Dover Publications, for this free book to review!
What I liked:
1. All of the fair isle. There were tons of great ideas that I'll turn into blankets or scarves.
2. The suggestions that showed knitting in a new way. Who knew you could use a sewing pattern for knitting?
What was meh:
1. Everything looked so...old. That might be because of the blank and white pictures, but still. I doubt many modern people will be wearing those sweaters.
Thank you, NetGalley and Dover Publications, for this free book to review!
What I liked:
1. All of the fair isle. There were tons of great ideas that I'll turn into blankets or scarves.
2. The suggestions that showed knitting in a new way. Who knew you could use a sewing pattern for knitting?
What was meh:
1. Everything looked so...old. That might be because of the blank and white pictures, but still. I doubt many modern people will be wearing those sweaters.
August 6, 2014
Okay, so the book is dated because it's 30 years old, but that's not to say it isn't valuable. I enjoyed reading through the book and learning about the process of wool and the different methods used in knitting. There is a lot of information on not only patterns, but methods of putting together a sweater. Some might consider the patterns dated, but I like to think of them as classic.
If I wasn't allergic to wool, I would love to make some of these items. As it is, I might try to make some of the socks as slippers out of acrylic or cotton.
If I wasn't allergic to wool, I would love to make some of these items. As it is, I might try to make some of the socks as slippers out of acrylic or cotton.
September 4, 2007
This out-of-print knitting reference is a must have for anyone who gets all warm and fuzzy inside when it comes to well written knitting books that have a connection to historical knitting, as in this case Nordic knitting ( duh) and patternless patterns.
The patterns are basic guidelines without holding your hands the entire way.
The patterns are basic guidelines without holding your hands the entire way.
August 14, 2014
Fascinating knitting book on Nordic knitting, which covers Scandinavia, the Faroe Islands and other places in that locale. This is primarily a reference book and is not a "How to Knit" book. I learned a lot about this particular kind of knitting which has had, and continues to have, much influence on modern knitting. Interesting book.
May 13, 2009
This is one of my favorite knitting books. The instructions are simple, practical, adaptable, traditional, functional, and beautiful. The basic shawl that I make over and over and my children have learned when getting started at knitting is an adaptation from this book.
August 4, 2014
2 Stars. This is another of those craft books that are stuck in the 80's. Great instructions but let down by the boring black and white dated photos. If your going to re-release a book the do it properly and bring it upto date.
Disappointing.
Disappointing.
October 27, 2014
For any knitter interested in playing around with classic stitches and patterns, this is a wonderful book. No nobbly purple acrylic yarn here, just pages and pages of gorgeous wool yarn (some of it still on the sheep).
December 15, 2009
I've borrowed this so many times from the library :) A really great book - wish I had one in my own shelf!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews